King's College London

King’s College London is a leading UK university, having been rated 22nd in the 2023 Complete University Guide rankings. Founded in 1829, it is one of the oldest universities in the country and offers postgraduate students a rich history of academic excellence along with a modern reputation for research quality.  

King’s College London is especially renowned for its academic offerings across social sciences, humanities, law, medical and scientific disciplines. Postgraduate students benefit from a range of pioneering partnerships between the university and other institutions, businesses and organizations such as NHS health trusts. 

King’s College is located across the city of London, which was rated as the best student city in the world by QS 2019. The university has five campus sites in the city, with four of them found next to the River Thames that runs through its heart. Postgraduate students at King’s enjoy learning in one of the world’s leading hubs for research, business and culture, as well as a student lifestyle that always contains new things to see and do. 

Postgraduates at King’s will join an extensive alumni network when they graduate, becoming one of nearly 200,000 alumni which include Virginia Woolf, Desmond Tutu, Thomas Hardy, Katherine Grainger and Arthur C. Clarke, to name a few. 

King’s College London offers a comprehensive range of postgraduate courses to its students, spanning a range of subjects including social sciences, humanities, law, the arts, business and the sciences, including medical sciences. 

King’s is a leading institution for postgraduate and professional research in the UK. It offers a wide range of research degrees, made possible through its Centre for Doctoral Studies which supports research students throughout their programmes. The university also maintains a number of Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs), through which students can access funding and training as part of their research degree. 

The university also provides the opportunity to study a master’s degree completely online. This modern, flexible approach allows students to work towards a postgraduate degree without disrupting their existing career progress, study around their existing commitments, and get a qualification from King’s anywhere in the world. There are also various short courses available, suited for career changes and reskilling. 

King’s has a particular academic strength across medical disciplines and is the largest hub for healthcare professional education across Europe. Four different Medical Research Council Centres call King’s home, found across its three different teaching hospitals. 

Entry onto a postgraduate course at King’s is subject to academic entry criteria. For a taught master’s degree, applicants will typically need a 2:1 graded bachelor’s degree or international equivalent (for example, a GPA 3.3 or more). Applicants for research degrees and PhDs will usually need to demonstrate completion of a master’s degree and good grades. Professional experience may be required in some cases. 

For example, applicants for the MSc in Aesthetic Dentistry or MClinDent in Fixed & Removable Prosthodontics will need to have a dental qualification that is accepted by the college, as well as being actively employed in a dental care environment such as a dental practice, school or hospital. 

Applicants for the MA in European Union Law will need to demonstrate achievement of a 2:1 or higher at undergraduate level in law, or a related subject. Alternatively, qualified barristers or solicitors will be eligible for this course. Consideration of work history or other relevant experience may be considered during the application process. 

Entry criteria for postgraduate courses can vary, so students should check the relevant course page on the King’s College website before applying. 

King’s College London is a popular choice for postgraduate students due to its impressive graduate employment rates and the professional prospects that it provides for its students. The university placed 58th globally for graduate employability in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2019, and places in the top 40 universities globally overall according to QS 2023. 

Postgraduate courses at King’s College are designed and delivered by industry leading academics and professionals, allowing students to build expertise around the latest theories, technologies and challenges of their fields. 

The university also runs schemes such as the King’s Leadership and Professional Skills Award, which has 350 places and allows students to demonstrate their professional growth and leadership capacity to potential employers through completion of various activities. 

King’s maintains a dedicated careers and employability office, which works to support the employment prospects of postgraduate students through a variety of activities and services. Students can access personalised career advice, both in person and online, as well as make use of a calendar of careers fairs, workshops and courses designed to help them network and build valued professional skills. 

Accommodation

King’s College London recognises the unique attitudes and aspiration of its postgraduate students. Its postgraduate-only accommodation, such as GradPlus, is designed with these needs in mind, and is perfect for professionals, mature students and other postgraduates who value convenience, focus and accommodation quality. 

GradPlus is delivered through the university’s accommodation partner, Urbanest, which is located in London’s Zone 1, enabling postgraduate residents to easily access class, laboratory or professional appointments. Students will have access to exclusive networking events, as well as private services like a 24-hour on-site concierge and private study or social spaces. 

The university also provides useful guidance and support to any postgraduates who want to live in private rented accommodation elsewhere in the city of London. They can help with finding an appropriate residence and managing the associated paperwork. 

London is one of the world’s most exciting student cities and was rated the best city in the world for students according to QS 2022. London sets itself apart because of its unbeatable economics and educational opportunities, along with a unique cultural and arts scene that is hard to equal. This diverse, energetic city is filled with green spaces, history, architecture and archaeology dating back to Roman times, and endless entertainment, music, art and sports events to explore. 

Postgraduate students at King’s College London can access a comprehensive range of funding opportunities, including scholarships and bursaries, depending on their level of study and subject area. 

Postgraduate students who have completed an undergraduate degree at King’s will be able to apply for the Continue at King’s Bursary, which offers continuing students £5,000 towards the cost of their master’s programme tuition fees. 

Students pursuing a taught or research master’s at King’s can also explore a wide range of subject or school specific awards, such as the Stem Education Teacher Scholarship or King’s Business School Postgraduate Scholarships. These awards are worth variable amounts, payable towards tuition costs or as direct payments to students. 

Research students will be able to find various funding opportunities through the university’s Centre for Doctoral Studies, which manages a database of scholarships and bursaries that students can apply for.  

Funded PhD opportunities across science and engineering are available from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) DTP at King’s. These studentships can cover all tuition costs and provide a stipend to PhD students to help pay for the living costs associated with study.